Auburn Family,
Today marks a defining moment, not only for athletics, but for the broader Auburn University and the student experience. It’s yet another example of Auburn earning the right to “dream the biggest dreams,” as President Roberts would say.
With today’s final approval by the Auburn University Board of Trustees of the Jordan-Hare North Project, we can borrow former President Gogue’s words and state emphatically, It’s a great day in the life of Auburn University!
We are deeply grateful to the Board of Trustees, Dr. Roberts and Senior Vice President Bobby Woodard for their leadership and sharing in our vision and championing the Jordan-Hare North Project. Their support has made possible the largest capital investment in Jordan-Hare Stadium and Auburn Athletics history.
While Jordan-Hare North will tremendously enhance football Saturdays, it will also benefit the university community and students throughout the year with meeting rooms, dining facilities, event spaces and retail venues. Every aspect of this design has been managed in partnership with Student Affairs leadership, to ensure the building can be used 365 days per year to add further value to the already enriched Auburn student experience.
I have often been asked how this project will impact the capacity of Jordan-Hare Stadium. Don’t worry – capacity will remain at 88,000-plus and could potentially grow as the design is refined.
This project will enhance your experience at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturdays in the fall, adding five new entry gates, 66 concession points of sale, 13 elevators and 270 restroom fixtures. The project also offers Shug’s Food Hall, located on the concourse level and open to all fans, with four new dining concepts expanding food and beverage options.
A key aspect of the project – and one of our Conditions of Satisfaction throughout the design process – was to provide a marked improvement in experience for our upper deck ticket holders. This project does that by connecting the east and west upper deck ramps to the new Tiger’s Terrace atop the Jordan-Hare North Project, providing upper deck patrons with access to 87 new restroom fixtures and 40 concessions points of sale.
The project will significantly modernize Jordan-Hare Stadium’s operational infrastructure, including the addition of two 10,000-square-foot on-site concessions kitchens that will improve efficiency and enhance the gameday experience for all fans. Currently, the stadium does not have on-site concessions kitchens, requiring all purchased food to be prepared at Neville Arena and transported.
You may ask, ‘Why now?’ – At a time when revenue growth directly correlates to on-field success, the Jordan-Hare North Project will generate revenue from premium seating to propel Auburn Athletics. This project will make an immediate impact, but more importantly it will resource Auburn Athletics for success in the decades to come.
The Jordan-Hare North Project will help Auburn meet unprecedented demand for premium seating and experiences. Current demand exceeds 5,000 on waitlists and interest lists, while premium seating represents just 5.7% of the stadium’s inventory – ranking 15th in the SEC. This project will expand premium offerings to approximately 10% of total capacity, bringing Jordan-Hare in line with the conference average.
Sixty years ago, Dr. Ralph Brown Draughon, for whom Auburn University’s library is named, said, “Owing much to the past, Auburn’s mission makes it greater debt ever to the future.”
This statement still echoes across the Plains and stands as our inspiration for the “Ever Auburn” capital campaign, which we are launching today. Ever Auburn will guide philanthropic support for the Jordan-Hare North Project and future Auburn Athletics capital investments that will benefit Auburn for generations to come.
We owe much to the past, to Cliff Hare, Shug Jordan, Pat Dye, Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson and Cam Newton, just to name a few. However, our greater debt is to those who represent Auburn’s future.
As we launch the Ever Auburn capital campaign, we are grateful for Auburn people like Robin and Reid Dove, whose leadership commitment to the Jordan-Hare North Project reflects the very spirit of this effort. Their support of this project more than two years ago underscores a shared belief that Auburn’s best days are always ahead. I invite the Auburn Family to join us in this endeavor. If you have interest in securing your spot in the Jordan-Hare North Project, I encourage you to visit AuburnTigers.com/EverAuburn for more information.
Today is a great day in the life of Auburn University and thanks to each of you, even greater days lie ahead. Thank you, Auburn family, for investing in Auburn’s future.
War Eagle!
